Tommy Tuberville won't run for governor in Alabama

Tommy Tuberville won't run for governor in Alabama

The former Auburn coach had been laying the groundwork for a potential campaign for months.

Tommy Tuberville believes his future is on the sidelines, not in the statehouse.

After months of teasing a potential run for governor in Alabama, the former Auburn coach confirmed Tuesday he has decided against it.

"It's been a long process and I was doing it for the right purpose," Tuberville said in an interview with SiriusXM.

The 62-year-old Republican had spent the last few months laying the groundwork for a potential run in the scandal-marred state. As Gov. Robert Bentley's administration imploded over the past year amidst a sex scandal, Tuberville had pondered trying to capitalize on his strong name recognition in the state thanks to a decade of mostly successful coaching at Auburn.

Tuberville spent three seasons as head coach at Texas Tech and four at Cincinnati after his stint at Auburn. He resigned following the 2016 season after a disappointing 4-8 campaign for the Bearcats.

How die-hard Alabama fans would have reacted to his candidacy wasn't clear, but for now, anyway, we won't get a chance to find out.

"I still want to coach," Tuberville told SiriusXM. "It's what I've done all my life. This game has given me a lot."